Living in the valley

Crazy Heart
Written and Directed by Scott Cooper
Based on the novel by Thomas Cobb

Jeff Bridges' performance in "Crazy Heart" moved me to tears. Bridges relinquished all inhibitions to portray the sinking desperation of alcoholism and the yearning for what could have been. His performance is raw, vulnerable, and proof that material for older actors comes along far too infrequently. Bridges plays Bad Blake, a 57 year old country musician who once had his day in the sun and now spends his nights playing bowling alleys and dive bars in between downing whiskey and bedding aging groupies. Bridges could have easily played Blake with one note- as simply mean or grumpy or cynical. Instead, he gives Blake an inherent likability and charm that allows us to understand why he became famous in the first place.

Blake's clearly down and out when he meets Jean, a small-town reporter in New Mexico who wants to do a story on him. Initially, Blake only seems interested in getting Jean into bed, but eventually something about her moves him to start making better choices. Jean, played so wonderfully by Maggie Gyllenhaal, is much younger than Blake. I don't know if their age difference exists in the original novel, but it works. Jean is a single mother and level-headed, not at all spontaneous in the way Blake is. In fact, it's obvious that her interest in Blake both scares and excites her, and she knows that falling for him would be far too risky an undertaking. I think that Blake sees in Jean and her young son all of the goodness of a youth he ravaged through.

Fans of country and blues music will especially like this movie, and actual touring musicians even more so. In an uncredited role, Irish actor Colin Farrell plays Tommy Sweet, once Blake's protege, and now one of the hottest country acts. The relationship between Blake and Sweet is interesting - not adversarial, but far from father-son.

This movie is about the peaks and valleys in life, how one day you're on top, and whether through your own actions or simply by circumstance, you end up in a valley. Though it may look like hell, it's so easy to stay there. Bridges' outstanding performance shows how hard it is to climb out, but how sweet it is once you meet the level road.

If you don't ever see this movie, at least listen to the film's title song. It says it all. Isn't it amazing how music can do that? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LwwkqABItLA